Branch County, MI Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Branch County, MI?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Branch County to carry. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 17.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.
Branch County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#748 of 2,758
- Michigan rank#69 of 70
- Population46,187
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal42.7 in.
- FIPS26023
How Branch County compares
20 psf ranks #748 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 27%) - and #69 of 70 in Michigan. Michigan counties average 31.7 psf; Branch County runs 11.7 psf lower than that.
Population 46,187 (FIPS 26023), roughly 41.9185°N 85.0669°W. The 25 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Branch County, MI
NOAA's 30-year normal for Branch County: 42.7 in. of snow a year, from the COLDWATER ST SCHOOL, MI US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Branch County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
Branch County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. (How this figure is calculated.)